MOST OF WATER BASINS IN YEMEN IN DIFFICULT SITUATION

SANA'A,Feb.20 (Saba) – Head of General Authority for Water Resources , Salim Ba-Shuaib confirmed on Saturday that most of water basins in Yemen have become in a difficult situation.

This came at the opening of a workshop planning for the project of the decentralized management of water resources ,the second phase, organized by the authority in cooperation with the German Technical Cooperation (GTZ)'s program to support the decentralized management of water resources.

The head of the authority said that the first phase of the project focused on accessing to the sound management of scarce water resources and the establishment of decentralized sustainable water resources.

He added: "The main goal sought by the authority through the second phase of the project is to assist in formulation of an effective mechanism for the implementation of activities related to developing and improving the integrated management of water resources.

The two-day workshop aims to reach a common understanding about the concept of the decentralized management of water resources and to propose new activities and agree on a draft work plan during the coming period.

On another hand, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs and Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Abdul Karim al-Arhabi stressed the importance of holding a national conference to address the water problem in Yemen.

Al-Arhabi, who chaired on Wednesday a meeting of the preparatory committee for the National Conference on Water, pointed that the challenges of water problem in Yemen need to gather the official and popular efforts to put an end for the increasing depletion of water in the country.

Strengthening the awareness of the optimal use of water and reducing the negative practices that caused the depletion of water represent a methodology that must be adopted within the procedures and efforts aiming to set up serious and effective treatments for reducing the waste of water resources in Yemen, al-Arhabi indicated.

The participants in the meeting concluded to form a scientific committee to be charged with preparation of the documents of the National Conference on Water to be held in the last third of 2010.

BA